Welp, there it is… my half-naked, 8-month postpartum body plastered on the internet for all to see. I’m not stoked to include pictures on this post but a weight loss article without any proof of weight loss would be a major waste of time. Mostly I know that once something is posted on the internet there’s no way to retract it so it has taken me weeks to work up the courage to post this. I hope that giving in to the vulnerability and sharing this inspires someone else to take ownership of this super difficult yet incredibly important aspect of their life!

I am not a big believer in waiting until New Years to set a weight loss goal. I’m more of a start right now kind of woman. So many people have commented, DMd, messaged, or mentioned at a party about my weight or on my posts mentioning Keto so I wanted to share the story. Since this is when motivation tends to peak for most, I want to strike while the iron is hot and get you when you’re most likely to do something.

Here are the highlights of the changes I have experienced since starting this journey:

Lost 35 lbs, 8.5% body fat and dropped 7 pant sizes in just a few months

My head is SO clear and am better able to focus

I have more energy than I ever have

I am less hungry and haven’t been hangry since I started

I’ve had fewer headaches and migraines- this could be coincidence but totally worth mentioning!

I don’t feel bloated

My motivation to keep going is unwavering

the success and motivation in this area of my life is bleeding into other areas of my life

But my favorite thing is that my thighs don’t rub together anymore and the seams of my pants are no longer under duress, nor are the buttons on my jeans. My shirts don’t stretch out after just one wear. I also can finally appreciate a freshly washed pair of jeans. The best compliment I have received over the holidays was when my dad pulled some laundry out of the dryer and thought my jeans were Kali’s (my 5-year-old)! What a feeling!

I lied, my favorite part about working hard and making so much progress that people can’t help but say something is all the positivity, motivation, and inspiration it brings to every interaction you have. The law of attraction: you get back what you put out into the world.

Here is a quick list of how I am losing the weight-

Follow Thomas Delauer on YouTube and watch every video on Intermittent Fasting. He’s my most trusted source of information so subscribe to his channel. He has a gift for taking the complex science of what happens in your body on a cellular level and make it simple so even I can understand and apply it!

Set up MyFitnessPal account with current goals and start using it!!!

TAKE A PICTURE- this is the least flattering thing but you want it later for comparison and to track progress!

Get a scale that tracks your body fat percentage and weigh yourself daily. I use the Lumsing Body Fat Scale available on Amazon for about $21.

Intermittent fasting- 16hours fasting, 8 hours eating on whatever schedule works for you. This is only hard the first couple weeks when you are breaking old habits and making new ones. I did this for a couple of months with just eating healthy and not getting too crazy tracking macros or anything just keeping calories around 1500.

Once weight loss slowed down, I added in CLEAN Keto. Thomas Delaure will explain in his videos. Basically, you shouldn’t be regularly hitting up a drive through and pulling the bun off a burger. You are still eating healthy, just with a ton of fat and moderate protein in your diet.

Use MyFitnessPal to work out your macros and continue using it until you have a REALLY good handle on what you should be eating and what is working for you.

Your macros should be around : (click on the little pie chart in MFP to see your macro breakdown)

Fat – 70%

Protein – 25%

Carbs – 5% (This should be less than 50g per day.)

Stay motivated by watching videos on Tom’s page and surrounding yourself with content every day that will keep you focused on any and all social channels you can.

Ok, this one isn’t something I did but I wouldn’t have been successful without it! My husband is my biggest supporter. We are on a similar weight and health track which made it possible for me to stay strong when I wanted to give in… He supported every effort I made and helped me not give in to unplanned things. He reminds me of my goals and breaks down excuses. He watches the kids and pushed me to exercise and make time for the things that are important.

Initially, as with anything, it was a bit hard to find my groove. I urge you to start somewhere and make tweaks and you learn a better way. There are so many resources to help with keto and so many companies that make great products to support you. I don’t get paid by anyone so any recommendations are strictly based on my love and appreciation of these products. One of the hardest things for me after a few weeks was not having dessert and anything sweet so Lakanto and Keto Dessert Company were lifesavers!!! But my favorite by far is Bulletproof Coffee!!! Thomas Delauer gives so many lists of products and recommendations.

The weight is still falling off, even without me finding time to work out regularly. I am finding this lifestyle totally maintainable and I am looking forward to getting into a body I have never had before. I think the exercise will give me just the kick I need to lose the last 15 pounds to get to my goal.

I felt it was important for me to master the food aspect before trying to take on too much. I felt like if I did too much at once I would be risking abysmal failure like I had so many times in the past. However, now that I have been successful, I am ready to layer on the next part of healthy living.

Of course, everyone’s journey will be different but if even one person can find a bit of motivation in my story and get empowered to take sustainable action to improve their health, then plastering my lumpy jiggly body pictures all over the internet was worth it!